CENTER
VALLEY, Pa., January 5, 2011 -
Olympus, known for its robust line of ruggedized digital cameras
today has added the new Olympus TG-610 and TG-310 Waterproof,
Shockproof and Freezeproof models. They build on the Tough series'
reputation of delivering amazing images while enduring extreme
expeditions and everyday adventures, including life with kids.

The
new Tough cameras are Waterproof (to 16 feet for the TG-610 and 10
feet for the TG-310), Shockproof (to 5 feet) and Freezeproof (to 14
degrees Fahrenheit) to deliver amazing images even when you take them
to extremes. Beyond their durable exteriors, the TG-610 and TG-310
deliver superior image quality thanks to 14 megapixels,
high-definition (HD) video, wide-angle optical zoom lenses (5x on the
TG-610 and 3.6x on the TG-310) and dual image stabilization. The
cameras come in a variety of colors to complement your own individual
style.

Whether
at the local pool, a tropical reef or the ski slopes, consumers want
a camera tough enough for life's thrills. The new Tough cameras
come packed with a variety of new features that deliver a worry-free
use, anytime, anywhere.

HD
Movie & HDMI Control -
high-definition video (HD video) delivers a broadcast-quality movie
experience when played back on a high-definition television (HDTV);

3D
Photo Mode -
captures two shots of a scene from two different angles to create
still photos that can be viewed with the added excitement and realism
of 3D;

"Because
life's an adventure, you need a camera that's tough enough to
make the journey with you," said Jennifer Schmell, product manager,
Olympus Imaging America Inc. "When you're swimming with the
dolphins, the powerful underwater functions like Underwater Snapshot
Mode and Underwater HD Movie in 3D will ensure that your trip is more
memorable than ever before."

HD
Videos and HDMI Control for a Home Theater Experience

The
TG-610 and TG-310 shoot gorgeous 720p HD videos above and below the
water's surface, so you'll always capture the moments you cherish
in clear, crisp high-definition at the touch of a button. With HDMI
Control, playback is also a breeze. Gone are the days of friends and
family huddling around your camera's tiny LCD to see the pictures
and movies you just captured. Now, you'll be the hit of the party
or any family event when you proudly display your brilliant images
and movies on high-definition televisions. Simply connect the camera
to an HDTV with an optional HDMI cable. With HDMI Control, you can
use your HDTV's remote to control playback functions and navigate
the camera's menus from the comfort of your couch.

New
3-D Mode

Now
you can add even more dimension to your photographs by shooting
dynamic 3D photos in any mode from macro to landscape, and even under
water. Recreate a sense of depth like that of the original scene.
Catch a shot of your friends jumping into the water and view it in
3D. Simply select the 3D Photo Mode on either your TG-610 or TG-310,
release the shutter for your first shot, and slowly pan until the
camera automatically takes a second image from a slightly different
perspective. The 3D data is processed in-camera resulting in an .MPO
file, the universal industry 3D format for easy display on 3D
televisions or laptops.

Share
Images Instantly with New Eye-Fi Card Compatibility

Ready
to upload and share images of your adventures live, as they happen?
The TG-610 and the TG-310 are compatible with Eye-Fi SD cards (sold
separately) adding Wi-Fi capability to the camera enabling you to
automatically upload images to your computer as you take them. Share
your pictures of sandcastles right from the beach by uploading your
shots immediately.

New
High-Resolution Display for High-Definition Video

Whether
composing still images or HD videos, photographers will appreciate
the sharp 3.0-inch HyperCrystal III scratch-resistant LCD monitor on
the TG-610. The LCD boasts 920,000 dots, making it one of the highest
resolution screens in any digital compact camera. It reproduces
colors and shades more accurately with deeper black tones, while
consuming less power. The wide-viewing angle enables you to view
small details clearly, even in strong sunlight. See that fish you
just caught clearly in the LCD without glare.

Express
Your Inner Artist with New Magic Filter Movie

The
TG-610 and TG-310 are equipped with in-camera Magic Filters that
enable users to enhance and customize images as they're being
captured. Have more fun and get more flexibility without expensive
and time-consuming computer software. Magic Filter Movie is a
powerful new feature that allows you to apply Magic Filters to your
high-definition movies to take them to a new level of artistic
expression and put you in the director's chair.

The
Magic Filters include:

Pop
Art -
enhance and saturate colors to create vivid, high-impact pictures
that express the joyful, lighthearted feeling of the Pop Art style of
the 1960s;

Pin
Hole -
reduce the peripheral brightness of an image as though it were shot
through a pin hole, connecting the viewer intimately with the subject
at the center;

Fish-Eye
-
emulate the wide-angle of a fish-eye lens by taking extremely wide,
hemispherical images and magnifying the center of the frame;

Soft
Focus -
encloses the foreground of an image in gentle, pastel colors with a
soft, elegant focus; similar to effects achieved in a studio;

Drawing
-
turn your image into a sketch outline for children to color;

New!
Watercolor -
transform your images with a finish like that of watercolor
paintings;

The
TG-610 and TG-310 cameras can perform as well in the water as they do
on land because their lightweight, rugged exteriors are matched with
interior rubber gaskets and o-rings to seal out the elements. The
TG-610 can venture 16 feet underwater, while the TG-310 can dive 10
feet underwater. The inclusion of four preset underwater scene modes
in the TG-610 and one in the TG-310 make these cameras perfect to
play in the water right along with you. They also capture HD movies
with audio even in 3D and under water - perfect for bringing back
memories that other cameras would miss. The TG-610 even comes with
Automatic

Underwater White Balance, eliminating the need to adjust
white balance under water, a Macro LED, a convenient function for
capturing close-ups in dark places and an Underwater 3D Movie
function. Both cameras feature a water-repellent lens coating to
prevent water droplets from forming on the lens, enabling you to get
crystal-clear shots no matter how wet the shooting environment. To go
even deeper, the optional underwater case for the TG-610 (PT-049)
enables photographers to explore the fascinating world underwater up
to 131'.

Wide-Angle
Optical Zoom Captures It All

The
TG-610 has a 5x wide-angle optical zoom (28-140mm equivalent in 35mm
photography), and TG-310 has a 3.6x wide-angle optical zoom (28-102mm
equivalent), ideal for shooting various journeys such as camping,
hiking, climbing, mountain biking, skiing or simply your family
vacation.

Nothing
Can Shock These Tough Cameras

Taking
lots of photos is a vital part of any vacation, but it's no fun to
lug around a digital camera if you are constantly worried that it
might break. The TG-610 and TG-310 can withstand a 5-foot drop,
thanks to their shock-absorbing technology, which minimizes the
impact on the lens and circuitry, so they'll take more punishment.
These vacation-ready digital cameras can take a beating and keep up
with just about any active lifestyle. There's no need to think
twice about bringing it along on a mountaineering trek or letting the
kids take a few pictures at a picnic. Even for shots at the beach or
capturing the wonder of marine life while snorkeling.

Don't
Fear the Frost with these Freezeproof Cameras

Whether
you're cruising the Alaskan ice highway in a snowmobile or building
a snowman in your backyard, the new TG-610 and TG-310 can still
perform when the temperature dips well below freezing (14 degrees
Fahrenheit; -10 degrees Celsius). Enjoy consistently sharp and vivid
high-resolution images in freezing situations where most traditional
cameras would fail.

Portrait
and group shots make your vacation photos live beyond the short
event, and with Face Detection you'll capture even the most bashful
relatives. The TG-610 and TG-310 can detect up to 12 faces within the
frame and automatically focuses and optimizes exposure to capture
sharp, brilliant portraits and group shots. Even more remarkable, the
TG-610 and TG-310 come equipped with Beauty Mode. Designed to touch
up the appearance of your subject's skin as the photo is captured,
enhancements that typically would necessitate retouching in a
graphics editing program.

AF
Tracking for Friends and Man's Best Friend

Whether
you've got skiers or surfers in your sites, the AF Tracking
technology on the TG-610 and the TG-310 locks your subject in focus
and continuously adjusts focus and brightness whether you or your
subject is moving, and is perfect for unpredictable situations like
photographing skiers on a mountain, tropical fish while snorkeling or
children at play in the backyard. There's even two newly designed
"Pet Modes" for animal lovers, offering the ability to recognize
the faces of a variety of breeds of both cats and dogs.

Tough
Cameras, Not Tough to Use

Skating
at night? You won't be the last one on the ice thanks to
Intelligent Auto Mode. It automatically identifies what you are
shooting (i.e., Portrait, Night + Portrait, Landscape, Macro and
Sports) and adjusts the camera's settings to capture the best
quality results. Amateurs can jump into this quick and hassle-free
feature that does the thinking for them and produces incredible
images.

Broaden
Your Horizons with In-Camera Panorama

You
take the TG-610 and TG-310 to places where you want to capture as
much of the scene as you can. In-Camera Panorama mode makes it easy
by capturing three images and stitching them together to create one
amazing panoramic picture. Simply press the shutter button and slowly
pan across the scene. The second and third images will be captured
automatically and stitched together with the first image -
resulting in one seamless panorama-size picture. To create the
ultimate panorama, consumers can use the OLYMPUS [ib] software to
stitch up to 10 images together.

OLYMPUS
[ib] Software Makes it Even Easier to Share and Print Your Photos

All
Olympus digital compact cameras now offer the new OLYMPUS [ib] photo
organizing and editing software. It includes photography workflow,
browsing, editing and unique photo organizing functions. You can
organize photos by person with automatic face-recognition technology,
by place with a map-tagging function, or by event. All information
will be tagged in each photo's data. You can then easily upload
images to the integrated online service, [ib on the net], to share
and backup photos, as well as order prints and photo merchandise. The
name [ib] stands for image bridge, because the software is designed
to create a bridge to help you get images from your camera to
services where you can do more with your photos.

What
Color Fits Your Adventuresome Personality? Tough Cameras in a Range
of Colors

The
Tough cameras come in a variety of colors: the TG-610 in black, red
and silver and the TG-310 in blue, orange, red, silver and white - to
suit everyone's style.

Availability

The
TG-610 and TG-310 will be available in February 2011. They ship with
a wrist strap, WIN/Mac USB cable, audio/video cable, Li-Ion
rechargeable battery, manual, warranty card and OLYMPUS [ib]
software.

U.S.
Pricing

TG-610
Estimated Street Price: $299.99 (U.S.)

TG-310
Estimated Street Price: $199.99 (U.S.)

Journalists
interested in more information, review units, product specifications
and High-Resolution images of the new Tough cameras should contact
Jeff Hluchyj, Mullen Public Relations, 617-226-9939 or
jeff.hluchyj@mullen.com, or Jennifer Colucci, Olympus Imaging America
Inc., 484-896-5719 or Jennifer.colucci@olympus.com or the Olympus Web
site: www.getolympus.com.

ABOUT
OLYMPUS IMAGING AMERICA INC.

Olympus
Imaging America Inc. is a precision technology leader, designing and
delivering award-winning products for consumer and professional
markets.

Olympus
Imaging America Inc. works collaboratively with its customers and its
ultimate parent company, Olympus Corporation, to develop breakthrough
technologies with revolutionary product design and functionality that
enhances people's lives every day. These include:

Digital
Cameras

Professional
Digital Interchangeable Lens System Cameras

Related
Underwater Products and Accessories

Digital
and Microcassette Recorders

Digital
Media

Binoculars

Olympus
Imaging America Inc. is responsible for sales in the United States,
Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. For
more information, visit: www.olympusamerica.com.

Visitors of Steves can visit the stores below for real-time pricing and availability. You can also find hot, soon to expire online offers on a variety of cameras and accessories at our very own Camera Deals page.